This invention relates generally to earth boring equipment and, more particularly, to an underground horizontal boring apparatus for efficiently boring through the ground under a roadway and for pulling pipe through the bore.
Trenchless digging of pipe channels saves time and money in that no there are no trenches to fill or landscape following installation of pipes. While large horizontal boring equipment has been proposed in the art, these devices are not efficient for the completion of typical plumbing or other general contracting jobs.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an underground horizontal ground boring apparatus that may be positioned and operated in a small pit by a single operator. Further, it is desirable to have a boring apparatus having a plurality of drill rods that may be sequentially coupled to the apparatus for boring an elongate horizontal underground channel. In addition, it is desirable to have an apparatus that can sequentially pull pipe back through an underground bore by sequentially uncoupling drill rods from the apparatus.
An underground horizontal boring apparatus according to the present invention includes a framework having a pair of elongate guide tracks extending longitudinally between opposed front and rear walls. The boring apparatus further includes a carriage mounted to the framework for frontward and backward movement along the guide tracks. A power-driven threaded shaft extends between the front and rear walls and is operatively connected to the carriage. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft causes the carriage to be moved in corresponding frontward or backward directions. A drill assembly is mounted atop the carriage, the drill assembly including a drill motor to which a drill rod may be coupled for rotation. Therefore, the drill rod may be utilized to bore horizontally through the ground as the drill rod is rotated and as the carriage is moved in a forward direction.
A clamp assembly is mounted atop the front end wall of the framework, the clamp assembly having at least a first clamp. When the carriage is adjacent the front end wall, the first clamp may be operated to grip and hold stationary the drill rod. The drill rod may then be released from the drill motor when the drill motor is reversed. The carriage may then be moved adjacent the rear end wall, one end of another drill rod may be coupled to the drill motor with an opposed end being coupled to the first drill rod. In another way, operation of the drill motor in a reverse direction while the first clamp is engaged uncouples the first drill rod. The carriage may be returned to the rear end wall and another drill rod attached to the drill motor for extension between the motor and an end of a preceding drill rod. This process may be repeated until the sequentially added drill rods bore completely through the ground to an intended target. Following full extension, a pipe or pipe segment may be coupled to a free end of the first drill rod for being pulled back through the underground bore. Drill rods are sequentially removed as the drill motor is operated in a reverse direction so as to pull the pipe through the bore.
A general object of this invention is to provide a boring apparatus for trenchless digging of an underground horizontal bore.
Another object of this invention is to provide a boring apparatus, as aforesaid, which may be positioned and operated in a small pit by a single operator.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a boring apparatus, as aforesaid, which carries a plurality of separate drill rods for convenient coupling to a drill assembly.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a boring apparatus, as aforesaid, in which multiple drill rods may be sequentially coupled and uncoupled quickly and easily using a clamping mechanism.
A further object of this invention is to provide a boring apparatus, as aforesaid, in which the driving, drilling, and clamping mechanisms may be operated using a control panel.